Two Years Post-Tigray Conflict: Eritrean Troops Remain in Border Areas of Ethiopia
What’s cooking in the Tigray region two years after peace was declared? Back in the day, the Pretoria agreements were supposed to put a lid on the Tigray conflict, which had claimed close to 600,000 lives. Ethiopian troops, alongside their Eritrean buddies, had faced off against the Tigray People’s Liberation Front. Eritrea didn’t sign the peace deal, though, and its soldiers are still hanging around like uninvited guests. Folks in these border areas feel like they’ve been hung out to dry. That’s what Clothilde Hazard, our on-the-ground correspondent in Ethiopia, is spelling out.
On November 2, 2022, the bustling city of Pretoria in South Africa witnessed a momentous event. A peace treaty was inked between the Ethiopian government and Tigray’s rebels. The goal was simple but heavy: to halt a savage conflict that erupted in the northern Ethiopian region of Tigray in November 2020 and wreaked havoc for a solid two years. It’s agreed that the conflict caused at least 600,000 fatalities, according to an African Union envoy working in the Horn of Africa.
However, the bloodshed didn’t just stop lives; it choked the lifelines. The federal government pulled the plug on humanitarian aid, slammed the brakes on banking services, cut off communication lines, and grounded flights to the region. The stage at the peace talks in Pretoria did not see the likes of the Amhara militias or Eritrean forces, even though they had backed up federal troops in the war.
Although the treaty talked the talk of “foreign forces withdrawal” – a slant aimed at Eritrean forces – these forces stood their ground. Villages in the affected zones still deal with the unscripted occupation. The troops intrude on everyday lives and enforce rules of their own making, echoing tales our correspondent gathered first-hand.
Imagine living in a place where peace feels more like an elusive whisper rather than a tangible reality. That’s the state of affairs for locals who continue to navigate life under occupation. These people’s voices, often unheard, share a story with our correspondent that shed light on the strife simmering beneath the veneer of peace. Many are holding the short end of the stick, feeling isolated and forsaken in this complex game of geopolitics.
Sometimes history has a wonky way of repeating itself until lessons are finally learned. Until then, we watch as the people of Tigray look for glimmers of hope in seemingly endless shadows. It’s a poignant tale, echoed through history and Coupled with the blunt reality of political chess where human lives unfortunately often become mere bargaining chips. The Pretoria agreements might have outlined a roadmap, but it seems many have lost their way navigating it through turmoil and mistrust.
Edited by: Ali Musa
alimusa@axadletimes.com
Axadle international–Monitoring
